Ypsilanti - East Middle School
Project Healthy Schools’
Five Healthy Habits
- Eat more fruits and vegetables
- Make better beverage choices (water, lowfat milk, 100% juice)
- Include at least 30 minutes of activity most days
- Eat less fast and fatty food
- Spend less time in front of screens (TV, video, gaming, computer)
Project Healthy Schools (PHS) introduces sixth graders to these healthy habits through a variety of fun, interactive events. PHS events include:
- 10 hands-on activities in health class that focus on making healthy food choices and getting more activity.
- Physical education activities, a classroom contest to see which class is putting healthy habits into action and other events.
In middle school students are making more decisions about food and activity. Habits developed today often will remain throughout their adult life.
Sixth grade students in health class first quarter start PHS events on October 30, 2009. On November 4 they make and eat Fruit Salsa. This activity helps them learn about the importance of eating a rainbow of colors of fruits and veggies. Over the year each 6th grader when they are in health class will participate in the PHS activities. Here’s the recipe so you can try it at home:
Rainbow of Color Fruit and Veggie Salsa
-Red pepper
-Peaches (we use frozen Michigan peaches!)
-Canned pineapple (in its own juice)
-Kiwi
-Parsley
-Cherries (we use frozen Michigan cherries!)
-Green onion (we use the white part as our “white” color)
-Lime
-Extra virgin olive oil (about 1 or 2 Tablespoons)
-Blue corn chips
-Spices: equal parts of cumin, kosher salt, fresh ground pepper, and cilantro
Wash all fruits and vegetables first and don’t forget to wash your hands! Peel the kiwi. Cut the pepper, peaches, kiwi, cherries and onion into small (about 1 cm x 1 cm) pieces. Drain the pineapple, but leave some of the juice. Put all the pieces into a large bowl and add the pineapple to it. Cut the lime in half and squeeze the juice into the bowl. Add the olive oil, parsley and spices. Mix gently. Serve with the blue corn chips!
If you have questions please contact Cathy Fitzgerald, 975-3060 or cfitz@umich.edu
June, 2009
What’s Happening at East Middle School?
- ACTIVITIES: All 6th graders participated in 10 Project Healthy Schools activities in health class. These hands-on activities focused on:
- Overview of what will happen with PHS this year
- My Lunch, My pyramid (How does that lunch tray compare to the Food Guide Pyramid?)
- Better Beverages
- Get the Beat! (get active most days of the week to make your heart healthier)
- Rainbow of Color (making fruit & veggie salsa)
- Assessing Advertising
- Facts on Fat (Making better choices at fast food places)
- Supersized (Portions are so large we overeat without realizing it)
- Reducing Screen Time
- ‘Who Wants to be a Millionaire’ with PHS questions
- LARGE GROUP ACTIVITES
- All 6th graders took part in two special physical education activities
- In the spring students got active in a boot camp experience that had lots of exercises and fun music
- Last fall students in small groups took part in strength training, aerobic and flexibility exercises
- All 6th graders learned about the importance of healthy eating and activity at the PHS kickoff assembly. Several students participated in skits.
- HEART HEALTHY SCREENINGS: In the spring and last fall 6th graders and 7th graders with their parent’s consent took part in a heart healthy screenings. Parents received results letters that shared their student’s blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
- AFTERSCHOOL GROUPS:
- Seed2Plate is a gardening and cooking group that met weekly from March through the end of school with 3-8 students attending. Vegetables and flowers were planted, tended in the greenhouses and sent home with students, plant fundamentals were learned, snacks and easy dinners were prepared using recipes and eaten as a group.
- Walking Club: PHS provided snacks and adult participation for this Wellness Center group
- INCREASED COMMUNICATION: Parents, staff and students were targeted.
- Parents: The school newsletter PHS article included updates, nutrition tips, recipes and web resources.
- Staff: PHS attended a staff meeting and shared PHS goals. Staff indicated their areas of interest on a survey and PHS provided information, including:
- non food rewards in the classroom
- healthy lifestyles curriculum tie-ins
- blood pressure
- cholesterol
- staff interested in walking or joining an exercise class
- Students: A bulletin board by the cafeteria changed monthly and featured interactive displays and photos of students. A fun new addition included milk moustache photos this year.
- LIVING WHAT YOU LEARN: 6th grade students tracked what fruit and veggies they ate at lunch, the beverage they chose and their outside-of-school activity minutes in the spring. Ms Hurst’s classroom competed to see which hour earned the most points. Students who reached a certain point level were entered in a drawing for prizes, too.
Coming Next Year!
- Support PHS and get more activity! Register for the Big House Big Heart run/walk. You finish in the Big House (UM stadium) on the 50 yard line! Choose between a 1 mile, 5K or 10K run or walk. Volunteer before race day and $30 will be paid towards your race fee!
- Get a team together for the Big House Big Heart run/walk and raise money for PHS! Visit the Big House Big Heart website for details
- Come to a Pancake Breakfast on Saturday, October 3 from 9am till noon at the Big House Big Heart Expo at Pioneer High School. Children under 5 are free. Reduced price family tickets will be available. More details soon.
Enjoy the summer by eating lots of fresh, locally produced foods and getting lots of activity!
February - March, 2009
Cafeteria
- New posters highlighting activity and healthy eating habits are on display.
Academic classrooms
- 6th graders completed their Food and Fitness Trackers. During week 1 students got points for choosing milk, water or juice at lunch, week 2 they tracked their minutes of activity and week three students recorded the fruits and vegetables they ate at lunch. Soon everyone will know which of Ms Hurst’s classes earned the most points and gets to keep the trophy, receive pedometers and have a party. Individuals, too, who met a certain level of points, will be entered in a drawing for an iPod or frisbies.
- We’re finding out the most popular vegetable among 6th graders! Check the wall outside Ms Shelton’s room, closest to the cafeteria to see the results.
Health Class
- The 10 Project Healthy school hands-on activities that show students the importance of making better beverage choices, eating less fast and fatty food, eating more fruits and veggies, including at least 30 minutes of activity most days of the week and reducing screen time are scheduled for 6th graders at the end of February or end of March
After-school
- It’s time to GARDEN! What? A new after school club, Seed2Plate is forming for any interested East student. Come to Ms Shelton’s room (close to cafeteria, room #107) Wednesdays after school. What’s there to do now?
- Plant a variety of seeds under grow lights and in the greenhouse soon.
- Greenhouse can be made ready.
- Make and eat healthy snacks!
- Seeds and Smoothies is Wednesday, March 4!
January, 2009
Has your 6th grader had health class? If s/he has ask them to talk to you about new healthy eating or activity habits they are working on now. Through 10 Project Healthy Schools activities all health students find out how to eat less fast and fatty foods, make better beverage choices by including more water, milk and 100% juice, eat more fruits and veggies, get 30 minutes of physical activity most days of the week and to reduce time spent in front of a TV, game or computer screen.
What can you do to help your student continue to follow these habits after health class ends? Have plenty of fruits and veggies at home and available every day. Get active with your student. Walk the dog or go for a walk together. it's a great time to talk. Cut back on the pop or energy drinks you buy. These drinks supply lots of calories and most of us get too many calories already. Limit your child's fun time on the computer and set up limits for TV watching, too. Limit your trips to fast food. When you do go share fries, get a single hamburger and ask for diet pop or water.
If your 6th grade student hasn't had health class yet they will be fore the end of the year. All 6th graders get health class. You can still work in the tips above to get a jump start on living a healthy lifestyle.
Make 2009 a healthier year at your house. Check out the Parents' Page for ideas on how to do that.
Have questions about Project Healthy Schools? Just want to find out more? Contact Cathy Fitzgerald East's coordinator at 734-975-3060 or email her at cfitz@umich.edu.
Project Healthy Schools is busy working with sixth graders at Ypsilanti - East Middle School to increase physical activity and healthy food choices. Students learn new skills and build habits that make them healthier today and tomorrow. Sixth grade students participate in:
- a heart healthy screening, with a parent or guardian’s consent (see below)
- 10 hands-on activities that are part of health class this year
- physical activity add-on classes to expose students to different activities that get everyone moving
- extra activities to encourage healthy eating and more physical activity
Heart Healthy Screening
Sixth Graders:
All sixth graders have the opportunity to participate in a heart healthy screening this fall. Please contact Cathy, the wellness coordinator for East, by the end of September to sign your sixth grader up if you haven’t signed a form yet. The screening include:
- a fitness test
- height and weight
- a blood pressure check
- a cholesterol check
The results are not shared with the students but you get a letter with your child’s blood pressure and cholesterol results. Students are screened in the fall and spring this school year and then at the end of seventh, eighth, ninth and possible 10th grade. Letters with your child’s results and suggested action steps will be mailed home after each screening.
Seventh Graders:
All the students who took part in the screening last year as sixth graders:
- will be screened in the spring of 2009. Results letters will be mailed home after the screening.
- can sign up to be screened at the end of eighth, ninth and 10th grade. Look for more information later this year or contact Cathy to sign up today.
Questions about Project Healthy Schools? Contact Cathy Fitzgerald, MA, RD; Project Healthy Schools Wellness Coordinator, 734-975-3060 or cfitz@umich.edu.
